


In These Dark Days

by morganoconner



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-19
Updated: 2012-07-19
Packaged: 2017-11-10 07:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/463671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganoconner/pseuds/morganoconner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tag to 2.08. Derek owes Stiles this much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In These Dark Days

**Author's Note:**

> Another accidental episode tag for a brand new, shiny fandom I've never written before. I'm not trying to make this a habit, I swear. Teen Wolf just gives me feels. Way too many feels. I was not expecting all these feels when I was tricked into watching this show. /o\

There’s no real reason for Derek to be out here, watching Stiles’ father kneel by his wife’s grave with tears streaming down his face as he presses muffled sobs into the elbow of his jacket.

Really, there’s no reason Derek should have been following the man at all for the past three days, and he’s sure that if Stiles knew, the kid would be in his face like no one else ever dares to be because he’s just that stupid.

Not brave. Derek is very careful to never think of Stiles as _brave_. Hardheaded, impulsive, moronic. Not brave.

But the fact is, Derek feels like he owes Stiles something. For saving his life, maybe, or for believing him when it matters, every single time, even against the word of his best friend. For trying his damndest to take care of Derek and his pack even when it has to go against every voice of reason in his head.

So Derek’s here. Because Stiles has already lost one parent, and he’s on the verge of losing another, and a lot of it is Derek’s fault. There aren’t many things he can set right in this world, in this town, in his life, but he can do this. He owes Stiles this much.

He buries his hands in his jacket and strides forward, careful to make enough noise that he won’t startle the man. He sees the moment the sheriff – ex-sheriff – registers his presence, his shoulders going tense as he hastily scrubs all traces of his agony from his face. He stands and turns in one smooth motion, his eyes hard and suspicious when he sees who it is who’s interrupted him.

“Sheriff Stilinski,” Derek says.

“Mr. Hale.” His mouth is set in a grim line as he looks Derek up and down, no doubt cataloguing the dirt and tears in Derek’s jacket and the shadows under his eyes. It’s been a long few days for everyone. “Maybe you haven’t heard yet, but I’m no longer the sheriff. Whatever trouble you’re having, you’ll have to go –”

“We need to talk,” Derek cuts in.

The sheriff – because Derek will never be able to think of him as anything else – sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Look, whatever it is, now’s really not a good time. I –”

“It’s about Stiles.”

Hazel eyes fly open again. Stilinski looks frightened. “Is he –”

“He’s fine.” Derek closes his hand around the thing in his pocket, pulls it free and holds it out to the man in front of him. Slowly, and with a look of deep suspicion Derek can appreciate, Stilinski takes it from him.

“What is this?” he asks, opening his hand. The silver in his palm glints in the mid-afternoon sun, and he blinks, sudden recognition in his eyes. “Where did you get this?”

“That’s not important,” Derek tells him, mostly because he doesn’t want to think about it himself. “What is important is its history, and what that history means for this town. And why your son is involved.”

Stilinski’s eyes come back up to meet his, and Derek can see the pieces slowly connecting in his head, a puzzle he’s been trying to piece together since Laura’s body was first discovered in the woods all those months – a lifetime – ago. “You mean why he’s been helping you,” he says. It’s not a question.

Derek inclines his head, an acknowledgment, and a show of respect he doesn’t offer many people. “So can we talk?”

The sheriff looks back down at the pendant in his hand. “I guess we better.”


End file.
